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If you want to read ugly, bad news about this beautiful city of ours, you’re going to have to look to traditional media and other blogs; V.I.A. promotes everything that makes our city awesome, from old to new and everything inbetween. We’re like the human interest piece on the news… only different.

Year after year we have been voted Vancouver's "Best Local Blog" by readers of the Georgia Straight.

Early in 2015 the Bank of Canada cut its key interest rate by 0.25 percent. Sure, that sounds nice, but what does it mean? Well, it’s good news for people looking to purchase homes or renew their mortgages. This is because some mortgages will stay relatively inexpensive, making home ownership in Vancouver a more attainable prospect (yes, you did hear that correctly).

How exactly does the low key interest rate affect mortgages? The Bank of Canada defines the key interest rate as “the interest rate at which major financial institutions borrow and lend one-day (or “overnight”) funds among themselves.” Eight times a year, the Bank of Canada announces whether the key interest rate is changing or staying the same. This January, they announced the key interest rate was decreasing to 0.75 percent—a good thing for new homebuyers as the market is much more competitive.

Banks themselves have a prime rate, which is the interest rate they charge their customers—often their favourite customers. The prime rate is usually tied to the key interest rate, which means as the key interest rate drops, so do prime rates and short-term interest rates, including the rates for consumer loans and certain mortgages. “But how does that affect me?” you ask.…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

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More than 75 weeks ago I embarked on a mission to publish 500 Coffees over the next few years. In this series I introduce you to interesting Vancouverites, many of whom I had never met before our coffees/meals. It’s an exercise in networking for myself and for V.I.A. while also being a platform through which I enjoy introducing you to some people who are doing really cool stuff in and for the city you live in.

Meet Thomas Mulcair, or “Tom” as he’d like you to call him. Leader of the federal NDP, the Official Opposition to Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. This is the first in what I hope to be three of these coffees where I’m inviting the leaders of the front-running parties in the upcoming October election to meet me for coffee so I can introduce you to them. I don’t imagine it’ll be difficult to get Justin Trudeau to sit down with me after this fairly-softball interview I’m about to share but Harper will truly be a coup if our coffee meeting happens; he isn’t exactly known for being widely available for media interviews. We’ll see.

In these features I’ve traditionally tried to just meet up and chat and not have my interactions be like interviews, but with these three I’m walking in with a few questions I’ve written down as I don’t wish it to be as casual an introduction as I usually bring you. I won’t be favouring one candidate more than another and in fact I’m not even sure who I’m voting for yet, so all you partisans out there please step away from the Twitter and Facebook. Also, it’s important to note that I won’t be caffeinating with the leaders of the Green Party, Bloc Québécois or Forces et Démocratie. I’m only meeting with those who have a strong probability of becoming the prime minister after this current election. If you’re a diehard supporter of one of the smaller parties please respect that I’m doing this at all and am raising the issue of exercising democracy on a blog that seldom wades into politics.

Tom and I met at Finch’s Tea & Coffee House on Pender as per the recommendation of his people, and a more fitting coffee shop there may not be. Like the NDP, Finch’s is all about creating a people-friendly environment where folks can enjoy Vegetarian Gypsy Salami Baguettes together. From the outside the building practically looks like it’s leaning to the left and, with it’s aged tables and mismatched chairs, like nearby Macleod’s Books, it’s a refuge from the hard concrete of downtown.

Mr Mulcair was in town for a rally his party was doing on affordability and a $15/day childcare plan they’ve got, and he told me about another (timely) plan they have to become a stable partner for the provinces when it comes to transit. The idea is that they’ll take $420m/year (1 cent from the federal gas tax) and distribute it to the provinces and territories for transit projects. The feds currently chip in but he feels there’s no national strategy where there’s reliable, predictable amounts of money being dedicated to each province.

I asked him “Why ‘No’ on legalization?”, which is an issue I’m keenly interested in, and he told me that they just don’t plan to jump into things, taking a more cautious approach than the Liberals’ promise to legalize right away. He says they’ll take time to look at the evidence coming out of the American states that have legalized and figure out what might work best for Canada. So it’s not exactly the ‘No’ that I had assumed, and I was surprised to learn that he plans to decriminalize marijuana right away so that people wouldn’t ever get a criminal record for it. Here’s how the exchange went after he told me what they plan to do should they form a majority government:

Bob: So decriminalization happens overnight?
Tom: That’s something you can do overnight.
Bob: Is that something you will do overnight?
Tom: That’s something we’ll do within the first 100 days of forming government.

The conversation then veered into fishing (as it tends to with me) after I brought up Chef Ned Bell’s rallying for a National Sustainable Seafood Day which was tabled in the House of Commons, and that I hope to see become a reality (learn about it HERE). Another surprise came when he proclaimed “I’m a fisherman and an outdoorsman, too” after I told him why I’m passionate about this issue. Every year he visits Quebec’s Anticosti Island where he and his family fish for Atlantic Salmon and Speckled Trout, and it sounds pretty magical.

As quickly as things swerved into personal stories of fishing they went back on track with my asking him if he could tell me, in one minute, why British Columbians should vote NDP this October. I’ll be ending each of these Coffees with the leaders with this question. Here’s Tom’s answer:

“Because for so many years there’s been an increase in inequality in our society. We’ve been stuck with the same parties since 1867 and right now under Stephen Harper things are getting worse for the middle class, and we’re actually going to change things. When I talk about childcare it’s something I’m going to get done. I’ve done it. I was there in Quebec City when we did it. When we talk about transit we’re going to do it, we’re going to work with the provinces and be a reliable partner. When we talk about housing we’re going to do it. So we’re not just going to flash left and turn right, we’re actually going to be that party that’s going to be there for people before, during and after the election, and they can hold us to it. And you can hold us to it by writing it down.”

Stay tuned for 425 more Coffees! Check out the caffeinated archive HERE.

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The Vancouver Creatives 2 photo production has now started and we’re proud to bring you today the first official portrait of this second edition presenting Danny Berish & Ryan Mah of Black Rhino Creative, one of Vancouver’s fastest growing media studio!

Black Rhino Creative was picked by our 11 jurors as the top talent in the Cinema/Video industry category and after spending a little time photographing them in the Southeast False Creek neighborhood (West 1st Ave and Cook St) we were struck by this team’s artistic passion and professionalism just as models! That alone says a lot about them but please read on below to learn more about Danny and Ryan’s life backgrounds below, and mark your calendar on June 4th to come admire their portrait as a genuine silver gelatin handprint during the Vancouver Creatives 2 Exhibition opening at Make Gallery at 257 E. 7th Ave (Main & 7th)!

Danny Berish has 10+ years video production experience and has collaborated with Cirque du Soleil, Moment Factory, CBC and IFC. Ryan Mah is a multidisciplinary graphic designer with 8+ years experience in photography and film. In 2013 they combined their love of story-driven filmmaking and co-founded Black Rhino Creative, a Vancouver based production company that shares authentic stories about passionate people and causes.

Most recently, Black Rhino Creative was commissioned by the Canada Council for the Arts to create a video portrait of the 2015 Governor General award winner in Visual Arts. Their passion for Canadian storytelling often connects them to interesting like-minded people. Recently completed was a portrait of notable calligrapher Martin Jackson and they are presently in the post-production phase of a feature length documentary remembering the career of the late Jim Rimmer, a renowned Canadian graphic designer and letterpress printer which they look forward to sharing with the world.

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Have you ever thought about doing an MBA degree, or about how to develop your business management skills? Vancouver’s business professionals will soon have the chance to find all the answers to their questions – the Access MBA Tour is soon arriving TOMORROW with some of the world’s top business schools!

Unlike a typical educational fair, the Access MBA One-to-One event allows business professionals to meet individually with Admissions Directors and career consultants. Upon registering for the event, your profile information will be reviewed by Access MBA’s team of consultants. They will determine at which stage of the business education process you are, and match you with corresponding business schools in consequence.

The event is fully free of charge, but spaces are limited and so early registration is suggested. Sign up today at HERE to take advantage of this opportunity!

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Vancouver Heritage Foundation is a registered charity supporting the conservation of heritage buildings and structures in recognition of their contribution to the city’s economy, sustainability and culture.

2014 house move

Often the last resort in saving a heritage building, relocating heritage structures is one conservation method that secures a future for a heritage building, albeit in a different location. It keeps historic building materials out of the landfill and often the homes are refurbished and restored in their new location, giving them a chance at another 100 years. Of the many landmark buildings in Vancouver that have been moved, the legendary Trader Vic’s was once located near the Bayshore Inn in Coal Harbour (1961-1996). It was part of the mid-century fascination with Tiki, franchised from the tiki-themed saloon of Vic Bergeron, via Oakland, California. When Vancouver’s Trader Vic’s closed in 1996, the building was later transported via barge by none other than BC’s own Nickel Bros. to a new location near the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island. The building is 12 x 44 metres and weighed an estimated 140 tons, making for a rather challenging move. Take a look at some great photos of the move here.

If you’d like to learn more about the complex process of relocating homes as part of a conservation strategy, VHF is presenting a Brown Bag Lunch & Learn this Wednesday March 25thfrom 12-1:30pm.House movers Nickel Bros. will present on aspects of moving a heritage home including engineering, costs and logistics. They will also explore the economic forces driving the decision to move a home and share their experiences including moving homes to the Gulf Islands and beyond.

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Vancouver Is Awesome is a proud sponsor of thisopenspace,a full service pop-up production studio with a flagship storefront at 434 Columbia St., Chinatown and pop-up spaces around town.They’ve hosted over 90 pop-up concepts in Vancouver neighbourhoods since September 2012. Every time a new pop-up is about to launch @thisopenspace, you’ll catch a sneak peek here on V.I.A.!

Photo Courtesy of Daughters of Simone

Just in time for the upcoming wedding season, west coast bridal boutique #UnionBridal launches its first pop-up shop. Owner and Founder, Sarah Frood has an original approach to wedding customs and tradition. She’s put together a shop for the west coast bride who’s free-spirited, effortless, modern and sophisticated. The pop-up is inspired by Vancouver’s natural landscape. Frood and her team have created a laid back and intimate setting in store. Brands to look out for at the pop-up include vintage dresses by Daughters of Simone, contemporary bridal wear by & For Love, handmade dresses by Brooklyn based Rebecca Schoneveld, and bold jewelry locally designed and made by Wolf Circus. They’ll have ready-to-wear pieces and 10% off custom made-to-order gowns.

We dropped in this morning just in time to catch Greenstems Floral setting up stunning garlands (photo above). They’re passing on the secrets and hosting a garland making workshop in store this Thursday, March 26 from 7PM – 9PM. RSVP to hello@unionbridal.com to grab a spot. Oh, and we hear they’ll be serving pastries by Livia Sweets. Flowers and sweets? Pretty good plan for a Thursday night out with the girls.

The pop-up shop is open this Thursday to Sunday only at 434 Columbia St., 11-7PM and 10-6PM on weekends. Follow Union Bridal on Instagram for all the latest.